Ye I think that should be the min on class 2
dafdave:
Juddian:
There’s good jobs and good money out there, never advertised, use your loaf and work out who doesn’t advertise, then find your way in.It’s finding your own niche and earning yourself a good accident free work record/reputation so you’re a safe bet for the company that’s the key to landing them, if you get the nod don’t sod about having a chat for three weeks with the missus mulling over the weekends and odd shift patterns often involved, ■■■■■■ their bloody arm off or you’ll not get a look in, and if you land such a job for crying out loud look after it and don’t take the ■■■■ out of it or it’ll end up like too many of the good jobs have, ruined and now in the hands of Winkanski and DLHski and the like…in other words if you can get £35/40k then give them £35/40k’s worth of driver, it aint rocket science.
Forget the bling and the flash motors, and don’t expect to get top money for chauffering in hire and reward sat on your arse for umpteen hours whilst someone else does all the work (though that suits some people who think 70 hours for 40 hours pay is the dogs danglers), it’s unusual hours graft muck skill care or a combination of some or all that pays the money, usually but not exclusively in unionised companies.
Very well said juddian.
regards dave.
I’ve put in for a job that’s not been advertised as far as I know, and it seems the modus operandi there is straight out of what you’ve said above, Juddian… 
It’s even meeting my fussy requirements for being north of a £30k basic… Fingers crossed I get through the medical testing OK. I don’t think there’s going to be an interview, which is just as well - as I’m crap at those. 
I’ll know by the end of this week in any case. It’ll no doubt not sink in until I get my first actual employee salary, which I’ve kinda fallen out of habit with on these past near 5 years on agency…
All thanks and respect to SMS agency though - They’ve played the game straight from the outset, unlike so many other, lesser agencies out there that have that reputation that so many drivers fear and hate.
Winseer:
dafdave:
Juddian:
There’s good jobs and good money out there, never advertised, use your loaf and work out who doesn’t advertise, then find your way in.It’s finding your own niche and earning yourself a good accident free work record/reputation so you’re a safe bet for the company that’s the key to landing them, if you get the nod don’t sod about having a chat for three weeks with the missus mulling over the weekends and odd shift patterns often involved, ■■■■■■ their bloody arm off or you’ll not get a look in, and if you land such a job for crying out loud look after it and don’t take the ■■■■ out of it or it’ll end up like too many of the good jobs have, ruined and now in the hands of Winkanski and DLHski and the like…in other words if you can get £35/40k then give them £35/40k’s worth of driver, it aint rocket science.
Forget the bling and the flash motors, and don’t expect to get top money for chauffering in hire and reward sat on your arse for umpteen hours whilst someone else does all the work (though that suits some people who think 70 hours for 40 hours pay is the dogs danglers), it’s unusual hours graft muck skill care or a combination of some or all that pays the money, usually but not exclusively in unionised companies.
Very well said juddian.
regards dave.I’ve put in for a job that’s not been advertised as far as I know, and it seems the modus operandi there is straight out of what you’ve said above, Juddian…
It’s even meeting my fussy requirements for being north of a £30k basic… Fingers crossed I get through the medical testing OK. I don’t think there’s going to be an interview, which is just as well - as I’m crap at those.
I’ll know by the end of this week in any case. It’ll no doubt not sink in until I get my first actual employee salary, which I’ve kinda fallen out of habit with on these past near 5 years on agency…
All thanks and respect to SMS agency though - They’ve played the game straight from the outset, unlike so many other, lesser agencies out there that have that reputation that so many drivers fear and hate.
Good luck with the job. I was with SMS when I was on agency. They were spot on, had plenty of work from them and if you were cancelled late they tried and quite often succeeded to get me something else.
don’t worry minimum wage will catch most drivers salaries up soon so its a guaranteed pay increase every year!
Juddian:
There’s good jobs and good money out there, never advertised, use your loaf and work out who doesn’t advertise, then find your way in.It’s finding your own niche and earning yourself a good accident free work record/reputation so you’re a safe bet for the company that’s the key to landing them, if you get the nod don’t sod about having a chat for three weeks with the missus mulling over the weekends and odd shift patterns often involved, ■■■■■■ their bloody arm off or you’ll not get a look in, and if you land such a job for crying out loud look after it and don’t take the ■■■■ out of it or it’ll end up like too many of the good jobs have, ruined and now in the hands of Winkanski and DLHski and the like…in other words if you can get £35/40k then give them £35/40k’s worth of driver, it aint rocket science.
Forget the bling and the flash motors, and don’t expect to get top money for chauffering in hire and reward sat on your arse for umpteen hours whilst someone else does all the work (though that suits some people who think 70 hours for 40 hours pay is the dogs danglers), it’s unusual hours graft muck skill care or a combination of some or all that pays the money, usually but not exclusively in unionised companies.
I hear what your saying and largely agree, but I take issue with the insinuation that if a top job comes up you should take it regardless of the shifts. I’d love to earn £35-£40k for a <50 hour basic week, but I wouldn’t do it at the expense of seeing less of family because of daft shifts and loads of weekends. If I really needed to earn big money, I’d be using the age I still have on my side to go to college or whatever to learn a trade that allows you to earn that with decent hours. I’d certainly never bother trying to do it as a driver, it’s not worth it.
Another dreamy thread?!
Juddian:
samledger1212:
I’m only just starting out so I no money isn’t going to be great while I get experience but most work were I live is £8hr and I think that’s a terrible wage when you can drive a van for 7.50 class 1 work is better but most places want 2yrs experienceLearn all you can mate, skill yourself up every day, keep your motor well even if it a wreck, do the job right, perfect that reversing especially blind siders, you never know who you’ll meet and you never know which of your present workmates might find themselves a decent number and get asked if there’s anyone they would recommend, that break into better things might be just round the corner or it might be years away, the better driver you are and the better provable work record you have the better your chances of moving up.
Wise words.
I’ve been driving trucks for ten years ( but don’t see myself as a proper trucker due only doing a few nights out ).
Gaining experience and a good attitude go a long way! During my time as an agency driver I had loads of offers of full time work from some really good firms to some real cowboys 
.
Regarding pay my salary has gone up 8K in 5 years with the same company, from day 1 I have always done the job how I was trained, not cut corners to save a bit of time and always been honest if I had a problem or issue.
With regard to wages for this industry…
In 1996 I worked for a worldwide manufacturing co as a machine op, my starting salary was 30k plus O/T plus bonus.
Only now 10 years on are my wages where they use to be!
Its swings and roundabouts folks
Just as I was leaving the yard I heard someone shouting & waving so I stopped & the asst T/Manager said " Hey slow down man, we forgot to give you this letter & you have to put this back on bay 12 as your new truck is loaded over there"…so I get in the new truck lovely , I open the letter & its a pay rise, back dated to last Sept after CPC after everyones wages went (remember)wow!..Then the alarm went off…
Winseer:
dafdave:
Juddian:
There’s good jobs and good money out there, never advertised, use your loaf and work out who doesn’t advertise, then find your way in.It’s finding your own niche and earning yourself a good accident free work record/reputation so you’re a safe bet for the company that’s the key to landing them, if you get the nod don’t sod about having a chat for three weeks with the missus mulling over the weekends and odd shift patterns often involved, ■■■■■■ their bloody arm off or you’ll not get a look in, and if you land such a job for crying out loud look after it and don’t take the ■■■■ out of it or it’ll end up like too many of the good jobs have, ruined and now in the hands of Winkanski and DLHski and the like…in other words if you can get £35/40k then give them £35/40k’s worth of driver, it aint rocket science.
Forget the bling and the flash motors, and don’t expect to get top money for chauffering in hire and reward sat on your arse for umpteen hours whilst someone else does all the work (though that suits some people who think 70 hours for 40 hours pay is the dogs danglers), it’s unusual hours graft muck skill care or a combination of some or all that pays the money, usually but not exclusively in unionised companies.
Very well said juddian.
regards dave.I’ve put in for a job that’s not been advertised as far as I know, and it seems the modus operandi there is straight out of what you’ve said above, Juddian…
It’s even meeting my fussy requirements for being north of a £30k basic… Fingers crossed I get through the medical testing OK. I don’t think there’s going to be an interview, which is just as well - as I’m crap at those.
I’ll know by the end of this week in any case. It’ll no doubt not sink in until I get my first actual employee salary, which I’ve kinda fallen out of habit with on these past near 5 years on agency…
All thanks and respect to SMS agency though - They’ve played the game straight from the outset, unlike so many other, lesser agencies out there that have that reputation that so many drivers fear and hate.
Keeping me fingers crossed for you mate, sounds a good prospect.
rob22888:
Juddian:
There’s good jobs and good money out there, never advertised, use your loaf and work out who doesn’t advertise, then find your way in.It’s finding your own niche and earning yourself a good accident free work record/reputation so you’re a safe bet for the company that’s the key to landing them, if you get the nod don’t sod about having a chat for three weeks with the missus mulling over the weekends and odd shift patterns often involved, ■■■■■■ their bloody arm off or you’ll not get a look in, and if you land such a job for crying out loud look after it and don’t take the ■■■■ out of it or it’ll end up like too many of the good jobs have, ruined and now in the hands of Winkanski and DLHski and the like…in other words if you can get £35/40k then give them £35/40k’s worth of driver, it aint rocket science.
Forget the bling and the flash motors, and don’t expect to get top money for chauffering in hire and reward sat on your arse for umpteen hours whilst someone else does all the work (though that suits some people who think 70 hours for 40 hours pay is the dogs danglers), it’s unusual hours graft muck skill care or a combination of some or all that pays the money, usually but not exclusively in unionised companies.
I hear what your saying and largely agree, but I take issue with the insinuation that if a top job comes up you should take it regardless of the shifts. I’d love to earn £35-£40k for a <50 hour basic week, but I wouldn’t do it at the expense of seeing less of family because of daft shifts and loads of weekends. If I really needed to earn big money, I’d be using the age I still have on my side to go to college or whatever to learn a trade that allows you to earn that with decent hours. I’d certainly never bother trying to do it as a driver, it’s not worth it.
I’m not suggesting for one minute that anyone should sign themselves up to permanent anti social shifts for the rest of their natural, but where the better jobs are you can sometimes only get in the door by being prepared to start on a scabby shift, then when you’ve got your feet under the table you put in for other shifts as they become available.
Where i am its like this, you won’t get a straight start on the tankers on days, ever, and weekdays only are like rocking horse ■■■, i had to do around 18 months of nights to get my lovely little present day shift pattern now, its taken others 2 years or more, just depends when you start and whats happening in the business.
Each to their own though, what works for me won’t work for others and vice versa.
I didn’t want to do anything else other than drive a proper lorry (pity that’s no longer part of the scene), when other kids at school bought New Musical Express i bought Commercial Motor, this is my job and i’d last about 5 minutes in a confined workplace before spitting me dummy out, so for me it was the case of doing as well as i could in this industry and staying behind the wheel, i started same as any bugger on general haulage, did about 12 years on that then had a couple of lucky breaks and have stayed at the better end apart from one or two hiccups for the past 28 years.
The only complaint i have is that transport has been dumbed down to lowest common denominator simplicity as have the skills for driving modern vehicles.
Really hope it works out for you winseer.
There are times when I’m seriously tempted to take the company shilling then I listen to some of the crap the company drivers have to put up with and just think… nah, sod that 
samledger1212:
When do you think the wages will rise
Mine went down from £20.- the Hour to £11.- 
But now i drive a shiny Fridge with Brummer behind the Cab 
samledger1212:
When do you think the wages will rise?
Ok so it’s Friday night now, please share whatever drugs you’re consuming, I want to go out with a bang…
Pimpdaddy:
samledger1212:
When do you think the wages will rise?Ok so it’s Friday night now, please share whatever drugs you’re consuming, I want to go out with a bang…
Is this a cry for help?
Contraflow:
Is this a cry for help?
Its a cry for some drugs…[emoji15][emoji16]
samledger1212:
When do you think the wages will rise
Never in the foreseeable future.
A lot of transport firms are adopting the salary pay structure. Which, not only veils the hourly rate, but can also, result in the driver, at times, being paid less than minimum wage.
Very crafty [emoji16]